Piano-truck.



R. M. STORER.

PIANO TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED-.APR.16. m7.

Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

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R. M. STORER. PIANO TRUCK.

APPLlCATlON FILED APR-L191?- 1,285,4=57. Patented Nov. 19, 1918.-

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ROBERT M. sronnn, on ST. noUIs, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV.19, 191$.

Application filed April 16, 1917. Serial No. 162,334. l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT M. bronnn, a

, citizen of the United States, residing at St.

Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Piano-Trucks, of which .thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in-the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. I U My invention relates to a: piano truck, the principal object of my invention being to provide a comparatively simple andefiicient truck which is particularly applicable. for use in connection with grand pianos, which latter, it will be understood, are comparatively large and of considerable weight.

- Further objects of my invention are, to providea piano truck which can be readily applied to or removed from the piano; to

provide a truck which can be readily adjusted so as to accommodate all sizes of grand pianos, and further, to provide a truck which can be easily and quickly applied to the piano without necessitating the lifting of the latter by the operator.

5A truck of my improved construction is particularly designed for use in piano salesrooms, warehouses and factories or wherever it is necessary to move pianos from one floor to another, although the truck can be advantageously used wherever pianos are moved or handled.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a piano truck of my improved construction, with the rockers thereof swung into out-ofservice positions;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the truck, parts thereof being broken away and in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section taken near one end of the truck frame.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the truck, the same beingshownin position on a side of a grand piano with the rockers shifted into position for use;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a grand piano, the same being shown in dotted lines withmy improved truck in position thereupon.

Fig. 6 is a- -perspective view of a latching plate for one of the rockers forming a part of my improved truck.

Referring bynumerals to the accompanying drawings,.which illustrate a practical embodimentof my invention, 10 and 11 des ignate base members, preferably rectangular blocks of wood or-metal, and mounted in any suitable manner onthe underside-of each base member are small wheels 12.- Rigidly fixed in any suitable manner to the sides of thebase 10 is a pair of parallel rails 13, pref- The construction just described provides a substantial connection between the base members 10 and 11 and ,permitsthei-r ready adj ustment toward and away from each other, with the result that the truck can be extended or contracted in length as desired.

Suitable means is provided for locking the rails 13 and 14 to each other, said means preferably comprising a pair of transversely disposed bars 15, the outer ends of which are provided with slots which receive pins 16, the latter being seated in the bars 1 1 near their free ends. T heouter ends of these bars bear directly against the vertical webs of rails 1d and the inner ends of said bars are pivotally connected'at points near the center of a disk 17, the latterbeing provided with an operating handle 18. As handle 18 is shifted in one direction, bars 15 are moved outward and the outer ends thereof press the end portions of rails lt against rails 13, thereby holding said rails in locked engagement. A movement of the operating handle 18 in the opposite direction actuates bars 15 so that this locking engagement is released. Rigidly fixed to the front portions of the base members 10 and 11 are posts or upright members 19 and 20 respectively, the inner faces of which are provided with pads 21 of felt, rubber or analogous material. Fixed to and projecting outwardly from the upper portions-of these posts are plates 22 in the undersides of which are formed shallow recesses 23 and 24, the members of each pair of said recesses being disposed at right angles to each other and with the recesses 23 substantially parallel with the front edge of the truck base.

Projecting outwardly from the posts or uprights l9 and are pairs of perforated lugs and loosely mounted therein arepintles 26 and 27, the same being fixed to the inner portions of rocker frames 28. The pintles 26 are comparatively short and occupy the upper pair of lugs 25 while the lower pintles 27 are substantially longer than said upper pintles, and interposed between the lugs in which the lower pintle's are mounted and shoulders on the upper portions of said lower pintles are compression springs 29. The construction just described permits the rocker frames 28 to be swung from positions parallel with the front edge ofthe base frame of the truck into positions at right angles thereto or from the positions illustrated by solid lines in Fig. 2, into the position shown by dotted lines in said figure.

When the rocker frames are positioned parallel to the front edge of the truck base, the upper inner corners thereof occupy the recesses 23 in plates 22 and when swung out wardly at right angles to the truck base, said upper inner corners ride beneath the plates 22 and finally engage in the recesses 24, such action being possible by reason of the yielding support formed by the springs 29.

In the event that it is desired to entirely remove the rockers 28 from the frame of the truck, said rockers can be moved downwardly against the resistance offered by the springs 29 until the upper pintles 26 are free from their lugs, after which the. rocker frames can be elevated to disengage the lower portions of pintles 27 from their bearing lugs.

Mounted for sliding movement between pairs of suitable guides and retaining strips 30 which are fixed to the undersides of the base members 10 and 11 are horizontally disposed rails 31, and formed integral with on fixed to the outer ends of said rails are posts or uprights 32 which project upwardly to the rear of the base blocks 10 and 11. The inner portions of these posts or uprights 32 are provided with pads 33 of felt, rubber or analogous material.

Loosely mounted in suitable hearings on the lower portions of the posts or uprights 33 are screw rods 34, the outer ends of which carry hand Wheels 35 and the inner threaded ends of which are screw-seated in blocks 36, which latter are mounted in base blocks 10 and 11.

By virtue of the construction .just described, the posts or uprights 32 may be readily adjusted toward or away from the base blocks to which they are connected.

Fixed in any suitable manner on top of the base blocks 10 and 11 and preferably near their inner ends are pads 37 of suitable material, such as felt, rubber or a combination thereof.

Mounted in suitable bearings v on basev block 10 is a screw rod 38 provided on its outer end with a handle 39 and carrying at its inner end a pad 40, the latter being positioned adjacent to the pad 37 on the base block 10, Secured in any suitable manner to the upper portions of the posts 32' are I extending outwardly therefrom are straps or cables 44 which are adapted to be engaged when the loaded truck'i's pulled from one point to another.

It will be understood that the bodies of grand pianos for which my improved truck is particularly designed, are substantially triangular in shape when viewed in plan. The front side of-the body or case is occupied by the keyboard, while the left hand side is substantially straightand disposed at right angles to the front or keyboardvside. The right hand side is formed on a'come pound curve, the rear portion of which unciltes with the straight left hand side of the bo y. i

In applying my improved truck to the piano body, the front left hand leg of the piano is removed after which the truck is turned on its side or edge with the posts or standards'32 uppermost and said truck is now moved against the straight left hand side of the piano body with the posts or uprights 32 resting on top ofthe body and the posts or uprights 19 and 20 positioned be neath said body. (See Figs. 4 and 5.)

The left hand face of the body of the piano will bear directly upon the pads 37 and the pads 20, 21 and 33 will prevent the posts or uprights from scratching or marring the finished surface of the piano body.

Hand Wheel 39 On the outer end of screw rod 38 is now manipulated to force pad 40 against the left hand end of the curved cover for the keyboard, after which strap 43 is placed beneath the body ,of the piano and the end of said strap engaged through buckle 42. Rockers 28 are now swung downwardly until they occupy vertical positions with their rear ends resting on the floor, said rockers being maintained in their shifted positions by the engagement of the inner upper corners of saidrockers inthe notches or recesses 24.

The right hand side of the piano body now lifted, with the result that the entire weight of the piano is transferred to the rockers 28 and the latter rock upon their supporting surface until the body of the piano occupies a vertical plane with the right hand side thereof uppermost. VVheh this rocking movement has been completed, the wheels 12 on the undersides 0f the members 10 and 11 will bear directly upon the supporting surface and the weight of the piano is transmitted from the rockers through the members 10 and 11 to said wheels. The rockers 28 are now swung inward into positions substantially parallel with the front edge of the base or body of the truck, said rockers being held in their shifted positions by the engagement of their upper inner corners in the notches or recesses 23.

The truck is now drawn in either direction by pulling upon the proper strap 44, with the result that the piano can be readily shifted from one point to another. Necessarily, a reversal of the operations just described will reposition the piano upon the floor or supporting surface, and after the strap 43 has been detached from buckle 42, the truck can be readily withdrawn from the body of said piano.

When the rockers 28 are swung downward into position beneath the body of the piano, their inner ends are practically in vertical alinement with the center of gravity of said piano body. Consequently, it requires comparatively little lifting effort to raise the right hand side of the piano and transfer the weight thereof onto the rockers and continue the rocking movement until the piano body occupies a vertical position. The members 10 and 11 can be readily adjusted toward or away from each other and this adjustment in connection with the adjustability of the uprights or standards enables the truck to be readily applied to all sizes of grand pianos.

A piano truck of my improved construction is comparatively simple, can be easily applied to or removed from the piano and provides an efiicient appliance for handling pianos, particularly in piano warehouses and factories, where it is necessary to frequently move pianos from one point to another and from one floor to another.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved piano truck can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a piano truck, a base formed in two parts, means connecting said parts whereby they may be adjusted toward and away from each other, a pair of piano body engaging members on each of said parts, one of the body engaging members of each pair being adjustable toward and away from the other member of the pair, and a rocker hinged to each of said parts.

2. In a piano truck, a base formed in two )arts, means connectin said parts whereby t e same are adjustab e toward and away from each other, rolling supports for each part, a pair of piano body engaging arms carried by each part, and a rocker hinged to one member of each pair of arms.

3. In a piano truck, a base, rolling supports therefor, piano body engaging members fixed to one side of said base, piano body engaging members adj ustably mounted on the opposite side of the base, and rockers carried by the fixed members 4:. In a piano truck, a base which is adjustable in length, piano body engaging members carried by said base, certain of which members are adjustable toward and away from the other members, and rockers carried by said base at the side thereof.

5. In a piano truck, a pair of frame members each comprising a base and arms on the sides thereof, rolling supports for each base, and a swinging rocker carried by each base.

6. In a piano truck, a pair of frame members each comprising a base and arms on the sides thereof, rolling supports for each base, a swinging rocker carried by each,base, and adjustable means connecting the bases.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, this 11th day of April, 1917.

ROBERT M. STORER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

